Understanding Your Bill & Rates

Utility Disconnection Due to Late Payment

What happens when payment is not received by the 20th of the month:

1. A late payment fee equal to 1.5% of the unpaid balance is added to the billing statement and a letter is mailed to the account holder.
2. The Utility Billing Department mails a Past Due Notice letter. For renters, the landlord will also receive a copy of the Past Due Notice.
3. If payment is not received within 12 days of the due date (20th of the month), the City will post a Termination Warning door tag on the account holder's door as a final reminder. A $25 fee will be charged for posting the door tag. After the door tag is placed, the account holder has 24 hours to pay the past due balance in full or make payment arrangements with the Utility Billing Department.
4. If the 24 hours passes without payment, service is disconnected. The City employee turning off service cannot take payment.
5. A reconnection fee of $55 for gas and $30 for water is added to the account.

How service is reconnected:

1. The reconnection fee and past-due balance must be paid in full to the City of Waukee. Payment can be made at City Hall during regular business hours, placed in the dropbox at City Hall or paid online at any time.
2. After submitting your payment, call Utility Billing at 515-978-5502. Staff will verify the payment was received. They will schedule a time for the reconnection between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on a weekday. An adult at least 18 years of age must be home when services are reconnected.

Customer Rights and Responsibilities to Avoid Disconnection

This section outlines your rights and responsibilities under the rules of the Utilities Division of the Iowa Department of Commerce to avoid disconnection of utility services.

Disconnection can be avoided by paying the past due amount or by making arrangements to pay on or before the date listed on the notice you'll receive from the City of Waukee.

• Disconnection for non-payment may occur only after the City of Waukee has sent a written notice of disconnection by regular mail postmarked at least 12 days before service is to be disconnected. This notice will include the reason for disconnection. 
• We must try to contact you by telephone or in person. A notice must be placed on the door of the home at least one day before service is disconnected. 
• Disconnection of your service may take place only between the hours of 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on a weekday. Disconnection may take place the day of or several days after the date on this notice. 
• Per Waukee Code of Ordinances Chapters 92 and 110, once you have been disconnected, you will be required to pay all past due balances plus a reconnection fee of $55 for gas and/or $30 for water.
• Once disconnected if you make payment or other arrangements during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, all reasonable efforts shall be made to reconnect your service that day. Between November 1 and April 1, we cannot require you to pay a deposit before service is reconnected or as part of an agreement for service to be continued.

Delinquent Bill: If you are unable to pay a past due bill in full, you will be given an opportunity to request a short-term payment extension or sign a contract to pay the past due amount in monthly installments. You must also agree to pay each new monthly bill as it comes due. If we refuse an agreement, you will be told in writing why we refused, and you may continue to pay under your proposed agreement without disconnection of service if you ask the Board (within 10 days after receiving the written refusal) for assistance in working out an agreement with us, Write: Iowa Utilities Board, 1375 E. Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50319, or call 515-725-7321 or toll free 877-565-4450. If you break the payment agreement, we are not required to offer you a second payment agreement and may disconnect service on one day's notice.

Disputed Bill: If you disagree with the accuracy of your bill, you may pay the undisputed portion and notify our office of the disagreement. Disconnection will be delayed for up to 45 days from the date the bill was mailed so that the disagreement may be settled. If you file a written complaint with the Board (address and telephone number listed previously), disconnection may be further postponed should the Board request the extension.

Health: Disconnection for non-payment will be delayed 30 days if a physician or public health official determines that a permanent resident in your house has a serious health problem and will be endangered if service is shut off. At our request, a telephone call from the physician or public health official to our office must be followed up with a letter within five days. During the 30-day delay, you must work out a payment agreement. If the physician or health official states that the health problem still exists at the end of the initial 30 days, you may receive an additional 30-day delay.

Deployment: If one of the heads of household is a service member deployed for military service, gas service cannot be shut off during the deployment or within 90 days after the end of deployment. For this exception to apply, the utility must have proof of the deployment prior to disconnection. However, you still owe the utility for the gas service used during this time.

Winter Energy Assistance - From November 1 through April 1, you may be eligible for low-income energy assistance or weatherization funds. If you tell us that you may qualify for energy assistance, you will be given 12 days from the date on which the disconnection was mailed to apply to the local community action agency. You must apply prior to the disconnection date. If the community action agency certifies you as being eligible for either low-income energy assistance or weatherization assistance within 30 days from the date of your application, then your service cannot be disconnected between November 1 and April 1. It is unlikely that energy assistance funds will pay off all your utility bills. It is to your advantage to make a payment arrangement now to avoid disconnection of your service after April 1.

If you have been certified as eligible for assistance and you receive a Service Termination Notice from your utility company, it is up to you to ensure that the utility is notified of your eligibility. Your certification will cover the current November 1 through April 1 period only. For further information on how to apply for assistance and qualifications, contact: Division of Community Action Agencies of the Department of Human Rights, Lucas State Office Building, Des Moines. IA 50319 or call 515-281-0859, or New Opportunities, 2814 1st Ave, Perry, IA 50220 or call 515-465-5185.

NOTE: The City of Waukee has established a fee of $25 for the posting of a Termination Warning door tag. The fee will be charged at the time the Termination Warning is printed and will be included in the following month's utility statement.